California False Advertising & Unfair Business Practices

False advertising includes false, deceptive, or misleading statements made about a product or service when the product or service does not have the qualities or benefits as advertised. Claims for false advertising claims are based on what a reasonable consumer would consider to be false, in other words, whether members of the public are likely to be deceived by the claims. Examples of false advertising claims include representing that a product is all-natural or organic when it is not or falsely claiming that a product is safe for use for a certain group or population. If you purchased a product or service based on false or misleading statements about that product or service, talk to one of our attorneys to determine if you have a claim for false advertising.

The Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act authorized the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The CFPB’s stated mission is to “make markets for consumer financial products and services work for Americans — whether they are applying for a mortgage, choosing among credit cards, or using any number of other consumer financial products.” There are a number of business practices which are considered unfair, deceptive or abusive under the new law and existing law. Some examples include predatory lending, harassment related to attempts to collect a debt, misleading and deceptive marketing related to credit card add-on products such as protection plans and credit monitoring, charging illegal upfront fees charged for mortgage or other debt-relief services that were not provided, and banks improperly manipulating the order of transactions to maximize overdraft fees.

If you have been subjected to a business practice that you believe is unfair, deceptive or abusive, contact our office to discuss your rights.